Nokia buys Symbian- sets it free

Symbian_logoAs if Google’s experience with Android wasn’t getting them frazzled enough Nokia has fired a warning shot across Google’s bow with the announcement they are buying out all of the partners behind the popular phone OS, Symbian.  Nokia has 91% of the ownership locked up with lone hold-out Samsung expected to agree to sell out to Nokia shortly giving the Finnish phone giant total ownership of the Symbian group.  Nokia is no doubt looking at the Android and its open sourceness and thus will set Symbian free for license by handset makers through the newly established Symbian Foundation.  The Symbian platform is already one of the largest in use globally and making it free to use can only result in some OEMs looking at the sure thing of Symbian instead of the unknown Android.  Google has got to be feeling pretty low right about now.

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